I would like to draw everyone's attention to iFixit. You may already be aware of the fascinating teardowns they provide of the latest gadgetry. But the site also provides free service manuals to keep your gadgets going longer. This site is run as a business selling service parts alongside the manuals in order to fund their continued operation. Though I don't see why you cant buy parts from other suppliers.
Ars Technica hosted iFixit founder Kyle Wiens for one of their subscriber chats this week. Kyle's idea is to keep electronics running longer and to prevent e-waste. The transcript is available here
I found the idea of open source, Wiki style, community authored repair manuals intriguing and I hope they continue to grow the site.
iFixit the free repair manual
Moderators: Ralf Hutter, Lawrence Lee
In a similar area, I have found
http://www.fixyourownprinter.com/
handy on several occasions for keeping printers operating.
http://www.fixyourownprinter.com/
handy on several occasions for keeping printers operating.
Re: iFixit the free repair manual
It's a good site. I've ordered parts from them and used their guides before. The tend not to have the cheapest prices, but they seem reliable (and I feel guilty using their guides and not buying). After fixing my g/f's Macbook I decided repairability will be a major factor in the next laptop I buy.